Abstract
We review recent progress made in the field of semiconductor spintronics, a branch of semiconductor electronics where both charge and spin degrees of freedom play an important role in realizing unique functionalities. We first describe the new spin-dependent phenomena found in semiconductors including carrier-induced ferromagnetism in III–V compounds, followed by an account of our current understanding of such spin-dependent phenomena. Then we summarize the challenges the semiconductor spintronics has to meet in order for it to be a success as electronics.
